A bullet smashes through the glass wall and splinters a hole in the desk above me. Death, in the shape of a small piece of metal, is looking for me.
I curl my arms protectively around my head.
The carpet is rough against my cheek.
Another bullet shatters glass.
Then, suddenly, unexpectedly, the noise stops.
It could be a trick. That gunman could still be out there. I imagine him squinting through a rifle sight, finger ready to pull the trigger.
Who is he?
I’m nobody. Just a fourteen-year-old girl who likes running and photography and who thinks Justin Bieber sounds like a girl.
Cold air blows in through the smashed glass wall of the office.
Twenty-one storeys is a long way off the ground. The fall doesn’t actually kill you. It’s the speed of the stop.
<a href=”http://www.fishpond.com.au/product_info.php?ref=271&id=9781862919297&affiliate_banner_id=1″ target=”_blank”>Chinese Whispers</a> is the third and apparently final instalment of the Raven Lucas trilogy. In this instalment, Raven and her friends go to Malaysia to fill in for her father at the opening of a new resort complex. They are also in search of clues about the disappearance of Raven’s father. Raven hardly has time, or the emotional space, to appreciate the environment or culture. She’s trying to find her father. She is convinced he is alive and not guilty of any of the crimes he’s suspected to have committed. Her challenge is to decide just who she can trust and who, close to her, is dangerous. She also has to escape the watchful eye of Rita, her chaperone. There are shadows, night-time visitors and adventures at sea before Raven can think about returning home.
Exotic settings, shadowy characters, twists and turns – <a href=”http://www.fishpond.com.au/product_info.php?ref=271&id=9781862919297&affiliate_banner_id=1″ target=”_blank”>Chinese Whispers</a> is an action-packed thriller. Raven Lucas is a feisty character motivated by a deep belief in her father and a determination to discover what’s happened to him. She has to consider that she might not like what she finds – both in terms of what he’s been doing and whether or not he is still alive. She is resourceful, observant and quick-thinking. She is fortunate to be independently wealthy and therefore able to follow leads internationally. Her friends display disparate talents, and are resolute in their support of Raven, even when they’re not sure what’s she’s doing. Readers must make their own judgements about who to trust, just as Raven does. Fabulous to see a crime thriller trilogy amongst all the fantasy and spec fiction. Recommended for lower secondary readers.
Raven Lucas 3: <a href=”http://www.fishpond.com.au/product_info.php?ref=271&id=9781862919297&affiliate_banner_id=1″ target=”_blank”>Chinese Whispers</a> Christine Harris Scholastic 2013 ISBN: 9781862919297
review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author
Available from good bookstores or <a href=”http://www.fishpond.com.au/product_info.php?ref=271&id=9781862919297&affiliate_banner_id=1″ target=”_blank”>online</a>.